This week, over at the TEDx blog, we got really into oceans and all the fascinating creatures that hang out there. (Especially sea turtles. We’re obsessed.) We explored how baby sea turtles survive the great wide world, how dolphins blow bubble rings for underwater play, and how divers feel swimming with some of the world’s largest mammals.

This is the kind of unique perspective you get at TEDx events, dozens of which take place around the world every week. From these events, we choose our favorite talks to showcase a few inspiring ideas from the TEDx community. Below, watch this week’s featured talks — which, sigh, aren’t all about the ocean, but give great insight into topics like identity, addiction and more.

A new self-identity for Africans: Panashe Chigumadzi at TEDxJohannesburgPanashe Chigumadzi is a young storyteller from Zimbabwe on a mission to redefine what it means to be African. Self-identity in many African countries has been skewed by the influence of colonization, she says, and in order to reclaim a sense of African identity, she urges people to use the power of new technology and social media to create positive cultural identities with uniquely African stories.

A better way to win the war on drugs: Bart de Koning at TEDxEde
Is the war on drugs worth fighting? Maybe, says Bart de Koning, if we can look at it with new eyes. Despite concerted efforts, he explains, criminal justice systems haven’t stopped the supply and demand of illegal drugs. Instead, academic research has found that well-funded mental health facilities offer the only effective solution to what is ultimately a problem of addiction. In the war on drugs, this compelling call to action may offer a new way forward.

Battery-powered fridge empowers Indian farmers: Sam White at TEDxBoston
In a country where most farmers don’t have refrigeration, how do you get milk to market before it spoils? At TEDxBoston, Sam White shows off a new battery-powered fridge solving that problem in India — even in areas without reliable electricity — making it possible to keep milk safe longer.

The mathematics of weight loss: Ruben Meerman at TEDxQUT
When you lose weight, what happens to the fat and where does it go? It seems so obvious… and yet, we weren’t sure either. So check out Ruben Meerman’s entertaining talk from TEDxQUT and figure out the chemistry of what exactly happens when the numbers on the scale start going down.

The glowing, neon green lamp you see above is the invention of French biochemist Pierre Calleja, who had the crazy idea of using algae to power otherworldly, tube-shaped streetlamps that double as homes for this growing gloop. In a talk at TEDxLausanneChange, he explains the process behind the invention. You may remember photosynthesis from biology class — if not, Wikipedia will […]

Oh, the places you’ll go with TEDx. This week, we’ve been exploring everything beyond the urban jungle. We followed an explorer to the dark caverns of underground caves, an astronaut to outer space, a time lapse photographer to fields and mountain ranges, and a group of TEDx’ers to the top of snowy Mount Everest. This […]